On October 11, Ha Giang province announced the decision and awarded the certificate "Forest worship ceremony of Co Lao people" in Sinh Lung commune, Dong Van district to be included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
The forest worship ceremony is a long-standing social and religious custom of the Co Lao people, passed down from generation to generation. This is a traditional ritual and has an important meaning in uniting the community, contributingto educating people to live in harmony with nature, protect forests, protect water resources - factors that are essential to ensure human life.
The shaman reenacts the forest worship ritual of the Co Lao people in Ma Tre village, Sinh Lung commune. Photo: M.Ly
The forest god worship ceremony usually takes place between 7 and 9 am. There are only 3 days in a year when the ceremony is held, which are March 3 or September 9 and December 29 of the lunar calendar.
To prepare for the ceremony, households contribute money to prepare offerings 2-3 days in advance and notify family members to attend the ceremony in full. The offerings include 1 male goat, 1 chicken, 2 bottles of wine, rice, incense, paper and some other items.
Unlike other ethnic groups, the Co Lao people do not have to build a temple, but only choose a relatively flat place next to a rocky crevice at a location with a large tree in the forbidden forest of the village to worship the Forest God.
At the altar, there is no regulation on how many incense bowls to place, there is only one incense bowl for all the gods. The incense bowl is placed on a large stone slab, with three cups and jars placed underneath on a flat stone slab.
The forest god worshiping ceremony is divided into two parts: the offering part and the main offering part. In the offering part, people bring offerings such as goats, chickens, rice, wine, etc. to invite the gods to attend and certify the people's sincerity.
The main worshiping part takes place after the offerings are presented. The shaman performs the worshiping ceremony, praying for the gods to bless the villagers with a new year of favorable weather, good crops, good health and prosperity, and to drive away wild animals and demons from disturbing and destroying the villagers' crops.
Over the past years, local authorities have done a good job of preserving and maintaining the traditional culture of the Co Lao ethnic group as well as the Forest Worship Ceremony; supporting artisans to teach the younger generation by introducing the traditional culture of the Co Lao ethnic group into teaching at schools.
T.Toan
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/le-cung-rung-cua-nguoi-co-la-ha-giang-la-di-san-van-hoa-quoc-gia-post316470.html
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